Okay so this year was Chuseok. The first Chuseok I spent in Korea I remember some Korean people bringing me some flavorless rice snacks. I tried one or two, and then just let them sit in my room for a few months until I threw them away. This year my wife has been wanting to eat these snacks called "Han gwa."
At my school there is a math teacher whose parents just happen to own a Han Gwa store. I bought a big box of Han Gwa from him to take back to my wife. For the past few days I have been eating and enjoying these things that taste a bit like flavorless Rice Krispie treats.
Another disturbing trend that I have noticed, is how I'm starting to like Mool Gook Soo, and Bibibm Gook soo. Mool Gook Soo is a bowl of noodles in lukewarm anchovy broth. Bibimb Gook Soo is the same noodles with pepper paste and vegetables.
Mool Gook Soo smells rather terrible if you order it, and a delivery man brings it into a teacher's office. It is the meal of choice for teachers teaching night classes. To me it was the taste of extracurricular imprisonment, but much to my surprise, I ordered it twice last summer.
Bibim Gook Soo, to the uninitiated, is a frightening juxtaposition of flavors. It's hot, it's sour, it's served cold. When you sit on the floor it's hard to eat. Last Saturday I went to a noodle shop and ordered a bowl and slurped it down like it was lobster thermidor.
A good tip for saving money in Korea: learn to enjoy the noodle dishes. Mool Gook Soo usually runs a good 3500 won in restaurants. Bibim can be cheap as well. In the summer time try Kong Gook Soo, which is noodles in soy milk - I learned to like this a while back, it's yummy. Also try Naengmyun, and Mach Gook Su, those won't save you much money, bowls run from 5000 to 7000.
2 comments:
I never liked the texture of nangmyeon. But give me dusleot bibimbap on a cold winter day and it was heavenly. :)
I can appreciate that. I tried Naengmyun once and didn't really think that much of it, but after I had it it was like a time bomb. I remember just having to have it one time, a few months after having it for the first time.
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